Elmhurst Animal Care Center Celebrates 10 Years, New Partnership for Women's Health

Elmhurst Animal Care Center is marking its 10th anniversary and will formally announce a new partnership with the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization's Veterinary Outreach Program during a free, family-friendly open house event on Saturday, May 11.

The event will include adoptable pets from Magnificent Mutts Rescue, Save-A-Vet and CatVando TNR, music and tours of the facility.

In addition, with strong engagement and support from the Illinois Department of Public Health, leaders of the EACC, the community and the veterinary industry will gather at 11 a.m. to formally recognize EACC and clinic owners, Dr. Todd Prince, Dr. Sandra Faeh and Dr. Thomas Staudacher, as one of the first official Veterinary Outreach Program partners. Notable speakers and attendees include Dr. Faeh with EACC; Peter Weber, executive director of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association; Dr. Kurt Klepitsch, owner of the first Veterinary Outreach Program member clinic and OCSA board member; and Vallie Szymanski, co-founder of OCSA.  

According to Peter Weber, ISVMA members report that pet owners talking about their pet’s health often feel comfortable talking about their own health concerns.  Supplied with knowledge surrounding the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer, Veterinary Outreach Program members can exponentially increase the number of individuals receiving the message and help save lives.  

Leaders in the community and veterinary industry will gather to recognize the Elmhurst Animal Care Center as one of a growing number of veterinary clinics across the state to join this innovative awareness program. Each year, more than 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and about 14,000 women die from the disease. There is an urgent need to share the silent symptoms so early detection and treatment are achieved, and lives are saved.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 80 percent of veterinarians graduating today are female. This increases the possibility of a personal connection to the disease and a viable tie to the purpose of the Veterinary Outreach Program. The program engages and collaborates with veterinarians, whose medical discipline is charged with promoting and protecting public health, ensuring an environment free from animal-borne diseases in addition to caring for the animals they serve.  To further show their support of the veterinary community, OCSA has also established a veterinary scholarship in the name of OCSA co-founder, Susan M. Roman, who lost her fight in early 2012.  

For more information, visit Elmhurst Animal Care Center www.elmhurstanimalcarecenter.com.  For more information about OCSA or this new, forward-thinking awareness program, visit www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org.

About the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization (OCSA)
OCSA is a Section 501 (c) (3) charitable organization founded in 2010 to educate women and their families about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer and the need for early detection and treatment. Donations to OCSA are deductible as a charitable gift. For questions concerning tax deductibility, please consult a tax advisor.  Follow the accomplishments and find key information about this cause on Facebook at OCSAChicago, on Twitter @ocsachicagoorg, or visit www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org.